choke – Pack Up and Ride

So you're all green to motorcycles, you've just got your new bike and you remember that your choke is needed to start your motorcycle but do you leave your choke on while riding? The answer is no, it is NOT OK to ride your motorcycle with the choke on. Whilst your motorcycle might technically run with the choke on, you should not do so. In this article, we will run through why it is best not to ride with the choke on, what happens if you do if it is harmful to your motorcycle, and if there are any certain circumstances in which you should ride with the choke on. Why it is best not to ride with the choke on? The main reason that we advise not riding with the choke on is that it can be harmful to your motorcycle. Whilst driving a vehicle you need air and fuel in order for the engine to function, when you're riding with the choke on there will be an excess of fuel which means that there will also have too much air. The result of this excess in air and fuel is that the engine will be over-fueling because there have been mixed together. Overfuelling can cause a variety of problems for your bike, from it running hotter than usual to the pistons being damaged by excessive heat through misfires. In addition to this, if you ride with the choke on and you happen to stall the motorcycle, it can be difficult for your bike to start again. If this happens then make sure that you turn off the main switch before trying to restart as this will help preserve fuel in your tank without affecting airflow Removing the Choke: How long should I wait? The amount of time you have to wait is different for each motorcycle, but it should be around three minutes. In many cases, the choke will take a little bit longer than that so if your bike still isn’t starting then try turning off the main switch and waiting another minute before hitting on again. Once you can get your engine running, it will be a lot easier to ride your motorcycle. If you have trouble starting the bike then make sure that you keep an eye on how long the engine is running before taking off as this can wear down your battery or cause other problems with your vehicle’s electrical system. What happens if you do ride with the choke on? If you ride with the choke on, it will make your motorcycle run very poorly and not start quickly. The problem is that gas can't enter the engine as freely because of how tight or restricted the air intake becomes when the throttle is cut off during a cold start-up. This means less fuel gets to pass through so there's more chance of fuel starvation. Can I turn off the choke while riding my motorcycle if I realize I've left it on? It is not advised to turn off the choke while you're riding your motorcycle, as it could cause a dangerous engine stall. The best thing to do if you realize that you've left on the chock is pulled over, turn off the choke and stop for five minutes before continuing with your journey so that enough time has passed for the engine temperature to increase. If this doesn't work, try turning down the throttle or revving up the engine till it reaches operating temperature again but don’t forget to use care when doing so! Is it harmful to my motorcycle to ride with the choke on? Riding with the choke on will cause fuel starvation and it can be harmful to your motorcycle. The best thing to do if you realize that you've left the choke on is pull over, turn off the chock and stop for five minutes before continuing with your journey so that enough time has passed for the engine temperature to increase. If this doesn't work, try turning down the throttle or revving up the engine till it reaches operating temperature again but don’t forget to use care when doing so! There are any certain circumstances in which you should ride with the choke on? The only time it is safe to ride with the choke on, and should be considered an emergency measure if you are in a tight spot, is when your motorcycle has run out of fuel. If this happens then turn the choke all the way up so that there is no more air passing through and put as much petrol into your tank as possible before turning off the engine. This will force whatever remaining gas inside to combust - but don’t forget to use care when doing so! Do all motorcycles have a choke? No, not all motorcycles have a choke. If you’re riding an older model however then it is possible that the choke might be there but will just be set to ‘on’ by default so it can't easily be turned off and could cause problems if disabled. Newer models are usually designed with better fuel-saving features that allow for an easy startup without using the choke as often.